RockOm

"Artists reach areas far beyond the reach of politicians. Art, especially entertainment and music, is understood by everybody, and it lifts the spirits and the morale of those who hear it." [Nelson Mandela]

Nelson Mandela, one of the world’s most inspiring and influential men, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and the first President of post-apartheid South Africa turned 91 on Saturday. Mandela's legacy was celebrated at a star-studded concert at New York City's Radio City Music Hall and was attended by some of the industry's brightest.

It has been almost two decades since Mandela was released from his 27 years of imprisonment at Robben Island and Victor Verster prison where he was known by the infamous prisoner number 46664. The entire world cheered upon watching the live coverage of Mandela's release on February 11, 1990. We delighted again three years later in 1993 when he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Then, scarcely a year later upon his election as President of South Africa we came to understand the full significance of how far the human race and spirit had evolved.

Over the 27 years Mandela was imprisoned by the separatist South African government, musicians worldwide kept Mandela and his fight for an integrated South Africa in the forefront of our social conscience through music and song. One of the first and most popular songs elevating Mandela and the outlawed African National Congress to the world stage was from the group The Specials, who in 1983 recorded the song "Nelson Mandela". In 1985 Stevie Wonder won an Academy Award for his song "I Just Called To Say I Love You" and dedicated the Oscar to Mandela. Also, in 1985 the album Sun City: Artists United Against Apartheid featured songs by a who’s who of the music world including Steven Van Zandt, Bono, Keith Richards, Peter Gabriel, Ringo Starr, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Joey Ramone, Jimmy Cliff, Daryl Hall, Lou Reed, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Pete Townshend, Stanley Jordan, Bonnie Riatt, Bruce Springsteen and many others.

On June 11, 1988, The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute took place at Wembley Stadium, London and was broadcast to 67 countries and an audience of 600 million. Musicians taking part in the concert included Dire Straits, Simple Minds, George Michael, Whitney Houston, Aswad, Hank Wangford, Sly and Robbie, Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, Jerry Dammers, Al Green, Bryan Adams, Jackson Browne, UB40, Salt-N-Pepa, Chubby Checker, Miriam Makeba, Eric Clapton, and Sting.

Music certainly played a part in helping bring about the freedom of Nelson Mandela. Mr. Mandela's story continues to serve as a reminder of the awesome power music plays in lifting human rights and social causes to a higher ground where change occurs. The soundtrack in which to remember that special moment in time will never be forgotten. It will be looked upon as an example by generations to come for furthering future causes of freedom and equality for the oppressed and subjugated.

Today we celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela as he turns 91 and offer acknowledgment and gratitude to not only Mandela for his graceful example of humanity at its most noble, but to those musicians and social activists as well who took up the cause of equality for all, becoming Mandela's voice at a time his voice was seemingly silenced.

Les Prix Nobel/Nobel Lectures
CNN
Nelsonmandela.org
Mandela.tv